Multipurpose key for opening tobacco cans



1956 F. A. HUBBARD MULTIPURPOSE KEY FOR OPENING TOBACCO CANS Filed May 22. 1952 Fons/e A. Hubbard IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 2,730,108 MULTIPURPOSE KEY FOR OPENING TOBACCO CAN Foncie A. Hubbard, Danville, Va. Application May 22, 1952, Serial No. 239,317 1 Claim. (Cl. 131-247) The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a multipurpose key which is detachably mounted on the bottom of a sealed smoking tobacco can.

Briefly summarized the invention has to do with a tobacco can which is characterized by a vacuum sealed container whose lid or cover is initially secured in place by a malleable tear strip. The bottom of the can is elevated to form a pocket. The multipurpose key is mounted in the pocket and is of a well known break-off type, said key having improved shank and head portions.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on the safely pocketed multipurpose key which has a slotted slot shank portion to remove the tear strip in a well known manner, and in addition, a cylindrical portion which is joined to tightly nested coplanar coils which serve, on the one hand, to provide a finger grip and alternatively serve to provide a tamp for satisfactorily packing tobacco in a pipe bowl.

Construed from another point of view, the invention has to do with a tamp which is detachably mounted on the bottom of the can and which has a coiled head which is adapted to be bent at right angles to the axis of the shank when it is desired to use the same as a tobacco tamp and wherever necessary or desired to also use the 1 non-headed end of the shank as a probe for loosening tobacco in the bowl if it should become too tightly packed.

Other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts through out the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tobacco can constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a large fragmentary sectional view showing the pocketed bottom with the removable break-off multipurpose key therein and also showing, in dotted lines, the manner in which the key, after it is formed into a tamp, may be conveniently carried for ready access in the tobacco can.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which the key is used for coiling and removing the tear strip.

Figure 4 is a view showing a portion of a pipe in section and elevation and illustrating the manner in which the key is used as a tamp.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the tamp by itself.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the manner in which the instrument or key is inverted in order that the shank may be used as a tobacco loosening probe.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals and accompanying lead lines the tobacco can is denoted as a unit by the numeral 8 and it comprises a container 10 of the usual fiat sided pocket sized type having an elevated bottom 12 forming the aforementioned key accommodating pocket. The vacuum type lid or cover is a hood type and the rim 14 thereof is telescopically fitted over the mouth of the can and includes a malleable tear strip 16 with a free end or winding tongue 18.

The multipurpose key is located within the confines of the pocket where it is protected against accidental damage and displacement. It comprises a shank having a fiat end portion 20 with a slot 22 and a tab 24 and a fracturable groove 26. The tab as usual is spot welded or otherwise anchored and the remainder of the shank is free to be detached. The right hand end portion of the shank as shown in Fig. 5, is preferably cylindrical in cross-section and tapers as at 28 where it is formed into a novel dual purpose head 30. This is accomplished by coiling the end of the shank to provide a plurality of nested or concentric coils 32 and 34 which are tightly convolved to provide head. The head is normally in a plane with a shank and the entire key is therefore susceptible of being adequately mounted in readiness for use in the stated pocket. One may break off the key at the joint 26 with the head in the same plane with the shank and may use the same in a well known manner. Or while the key is attached the slightly thinned neck or junctional portion 36 permits the head to be bent to the lateral or right angular position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. It may be desired to remove the key with the head flat and then bend the head afterwards with a pair of pliers. It is believed, however, that the shank by being cylindrical and tapered is not only susceptible of being fashioned into the coiled head construction but may he possessed with just the right strength to permit the device to be used as the key shown in Figure 3,, or the head readily bent so that the device may be used as a tamp as in Figure 4. With the tamping head bent as shown in Figures 4 and 5 for example, the device may be used for tamping the tobacco in the pipe bowl as illustrated in Figure 4. Then the key may be reversed and the shank portion used as a probe for stirring and agitating the tobacco for loosening purposes.

As previously mentioned, when the tamp is not in use it is convenient to store the same in the dotted line position in Figure 2.

Minor changes in shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new For use in conjunction with a flat bottomed smoking tobacco can wherein said bottom is elevated and forms a pocket; a device for tamping tobacco in the bowl of a smoking pipe comprising a linearly straight shank having a severable attaching tab at one end adapted to be welded to the bottom of the stated tobacco can, that portion of the shank adjacent said tab being fiat and apertured, the other end of said shank being cylindrical and gradually tapered in cross-section and then formed into a spiral having tightly wound contacting coils in concentric relationship and with all of said coils in a common plane and providing a substantially circular fiat head, said head being normally in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of said shank and the junctional portion of the shank between the head and shank being bendable so that said head may be readily bent from said common plane position to assume a position at right angles to the shank with the shank joining the outermost coil of the head, whereupon the head then serves as a tamp which is adapted to be fitted into a tobacco bowl in a smoking pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,705,846 Young Mar. 19, 1929 1,907,364 Prahl et al May 2, 1933 1,943,355 Young Jan. 16, 1934 2,041,469 Haas May 19, 1938 2,139,838 Mayer Dec. 13, 1938 2,305,091 Kronguest Dec. 15, 1942 2,326,191 Zahler Aug. 10, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 81,353 Switzerland June 2, 1919 498,561 France Oct. 22, 1919 

